Auxiliary spring structure



Feb. 3, 1953 R. BEASON 2,627,404

AUXILIARY SPRING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 17, 1951 /9 v INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 3, 1 953 AUXILIARY SPRING STRUCTURE Robert L. Beason,Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor to New Method Equipment Company, Indianola,Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application January 17, 1951, Serial No.206,456

2 Claims.

This invention relates to auxiliary springs for motor vehicles and hasparticular relation to means for supplementing the coil springs ofsocalled knee action spring suspension for automotive vehicles.

In recent years it has become more and more conventional construction tomount the wheel spindles of motor vehicles on a pair of horizontallyextending lever or control arms with the spindles mounted on a verticalpost which is pivotally engaged at its upper and lower ends to the freearms of the horizontally extending control arms. The lower horizontallyextending control arm is usually of greater length than the upper arm.

In use, when a load is applied to the motor vehicle or the wheels strikea bump, a coil spring which is disposed between the lower control armand the frame of the vehicle is compressed. Inasmuch as the lowercontrol arm is longer than the upper arm, a tilting action of the top ofthe spindle post inwardly toward the center line of the vehicle occurs,and this produces a spreading action of the wheels on the oppositesides.

Also, in going around a curve, the outer wheel is caused to tiltinwardly to afford better steering of the vehicle.

In use, however, these coil springs may lose some of their effectivenessand become weaker so as to cause the undesirable spreading of the wheelsduring straight, forward movement of the vehicle. At times, greaterloads may be applied to the vehicle, as for instance when the vehicle isemployed to carry its full capacity of passengers and with their luggageor other loads, and these loads too tend to compress the coil springs toa greater extent than is desirable for best steering and minimum tirewear. Many times, too, a vehicle will sag toward the drivers sidebecause the drivers weight is always present when the vehicle is movingand the other seats may not be occupied.

It is one of the main objects of my invention to provide an auxiliaryspring for so-called knee action spring suspension structures of thecharacter described, which will supplement the coil springs and affordadditional springing support so as to position the structure in itsproper relation for best efliciency and minimum tire wear and abuse.

Another object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary springstructure which may be selectively applied to the vehicle to producegreater auxiliary spring action or less as desired, to compensate forunequal sagging of springs, and unequal loading of the vehicle.

Another object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary springstructure in which. a relatively long lever arm is employed so thatexcessive spring stresses are avoided.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an auxiliary springstructure in which the length of the lever arm acting on the coil springstructure may be varied as desired.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device which may beapplied to the conventional knee action spring structure with a minimumof labor, difiiculty, and expense.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter which is substantially universal in that it may be applied toall or almost all of the knee action spring structures now known.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be moreapparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of theaccompanying drawings and following specifications, wherein is discloseda single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding,however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scopeof the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of an auxiliary spring and lever mechanism forsupplementing the coil springs of knee action devices and constructedaccording to one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the knee action or coil spring supportstructure of the left front wheel of a motor vehicle, with a portion ofthe frame and the wheel hub and the knee action structure illustrated soas to illustrate how the preferred device may be applied to the vehicle.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear view of the structure shown in Figure 3,and

Figure 5 is a side view of a modified form of the device shown inFigures 1 and 2, in which the device is adapted to engage a bifurcatedupper arm of the coil spring structure.

Referring now to the drawings:

The device here shown, which illustrates one embodiment of my invention,includes a clamp illustrated at H), having a heavy rectangular shapedupper mounting plate member H and a lighter clamping plate or strapmember l2. In this clamping structure I preferably provide some fiveopenings in both the upper and lower plates so that the bolts [4,employed to clamp the clamping means to the upper arm I6 of the coilspring 2,627,404 3 r 4 structure, may be placed selectively in severaldif- The clamping structure l may be applied to ferent sets of openingsso that the clamps may most of the vehicles employing the conventionalbe engaged on many diiferent forms of upper knee action springstructure, by selectively placarm structures, such as illustrated at It.ing the bolts [4 in any of the different holes [-3. It is desirable thatthe bolts be as close together 5 For instance, in Figure 5 I haveillustrated the as possible, and in some cases the bolts It may firsttwo bolts so placed in the openings that they be located in the innerholes l3, while in other are on either side of one portion M of an uppercases they may be located in the outer holes, as control arm, such asit, thus to prevent sliding illustrated in Figure 2. A downwardly andrearor slippage of the clamping means on the control wardly andoutwardly extending lever arm I! is or A-arm l8.

integral with or welded to the outermost end of It should be noted thatthe clamping strap 12 the plate H, and this lever arm is thus soposishould be of sufiicient weight to stand the strain tioned that itextends down in back of the knee imposed upon it but preferably lightenough to action structure, preferably almost to the lower deformslightly when the clam in bolts are horizontal arm. pulled up tight, tothus more closely engage the I preferably provide several openings inthe control arm and thereby prevent slipping and dislever arm I l, asillustrated at I8, so that the coil placement. spring l9 may be engagedin any one of the open- Although I have described a specific embodiingsas desired, to furnish greater or lesser pull ment of my invention, itis apparent that modior-traction effort to the lever arm ll. The coilfications thereof may be made by those skilled spring [9 should have onthe order of 100 to 150 in the art. Such modifications may be madepounds initial tension, depending upon the weight without departing fromthe spirit and scope of of the vehicle, and the coil spring ispreferably my invention as set forth in the appended claims. providedwith opposed ears 2! and 22 so that one I claim as my invention: end ofthe spring may be engaged in one of the 25 1. An auxiliary means forsupplementing the holes I8 and the other may be engaged by an eyesupporting springs in knee action devices having bolt, such asillustrated at 23. pivotally mounted and generally horizontally ex- Theinner end 22 of the coil spring and the eye tending upper and lowercontrol arms, a substanbolt may be secured to the vehicle in any desiredtially rigid mounting plate, means for clamping manner, but I have foundthat one or the best so the mountin plate to an u per control arm, ameans of accomplishing this is by means of an lever arm extendingdownwardly from the mount- L-shaped stra 24, the inner end of which isproing plate, and spring means biasing the lever arm vided with anopening therethrough so that the inwardly about the pivot point of theupper conbolt 26, which commonly holds the pivot shaft trol arm. of thelower lever arm 28 in place, may be em- 2. An auxiliary means forsupplementing the ployed to secure the strap 26 to the frame of thesupporting springs in knee action devices having vehicle. pivotallymounted and generally horizontally ex- It is apparent that the nut 27may be drawn tending upper and lower control arms, a substanup to anydesired position on the threaded shank tially rigid mounting plate,deformable means and of the eye bolt 23, and thus apply any desiredbolts for clamping the mounting plate to an upper initial tension to thespring I9. control arm, a lever arm extending downwardly If a load isapplied to the motor vehicle, the from the mounting plate, and springmeans biasupper arm [6 tends to move upwardly about the ing the leverarm inwardly about the pivot point pivot point [El and this causes thelower end of of the upper control arm. the lever arm ll to moveoutwardly against the ROBERT L. BEASON. tension of the coil spring it.Thus the coil spring l9 affords additional springing action supple-REFERENCES CITED mellting the action of the K1196 action @011 Thefollowing references are of record in the l l i i s upplementar spr'n incton b 0 me of this patent: V

1 y 1 g g a 1 may e 5 controlled by adjustment of the nut 21 on theUNITED STATES PATENTS shank of the eye bolt 23, and if greater than nor-Number Name Date mal load is to be carried by the vehicle or if one1,189,682 Gingras July 4, 1916 side of the vehicle sags more than theother, the 1,689,458 Shears et al. Oct. 30, 1928 tension on the coilspring on that side of the ve- 5.3 ,1 ,5 r tro g y 17, 1938 hicle may beaccordingly increased as desired. 2, 51,2 1 R SS e 1944

